<p>This thread is toxic!</p>
<p>There is a simple fact that is being missed here. Undergraduate life varies greatly student to student, and depending on your background, talents, and goals, NU might be a horrible place, or an Eden on Earth. I found my experience to be in the middle.</p>
<p>The statement that NU is full of Ivy rejects is simply untrue. I turned down three acceptances to Ivys to go to NU. That is because NU (at the time) fulfilled my needs to a greater extent (or so I thought). I am no defender of NU or McCormick (I majored in BME), but the toxic rantings of the people in this thread are incredible.</p>
<p>If you want to be spoon fed classwork, grades, and the delusion that life will be “easy” after graduating, go to Harvard, not NU. NU weeds out the weak VERY FAST. In my graduating class in BME, the people who were left were tried by fire, and there were not many of us left. More than 2/3 of the students dropped out over the four years I was there. I can make this comparison with Harvard because I completed some of my surgical training there so I have direct experience with the students on all levels: undergrad, medical students, etc…</p>
<p>If the concern is strictly getting the best grades to go to med/law/grad school, you are right, the system is structured to deflate grades- not inflate them. So you will work harder for your “A” at NU than you will at Harvard or Stanford. That is a fact. Now, if you don’t really care about that, all the rantings mean nothing. </p>
<p>Anyway, the only lesson from this thread is that you need to understand that picking a college is somewhat of a crap shoot, and how you feel about your experience is more important than where you “are.” If you hate your college and college experience (for whatever reason) you will have a very difficult time. You point of view has great power over you and your future during this unique time in your life. The only good thing about that is that you have the ability to change your point of view, and make further changes (transfer, take a year off, etc.) if necessary.</p>
<p>If you do not want to take responsibility for yourself, NU is a VERY inhospitable place. If you are the type that makes your own way, NU will serve you well.</p>